Honourable guests, ladies and gentlemen
Programme Director,
The Rt Honourable Premier of the Eastern Cape
Her Worship, Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Metro
Municipality
Director of ILO
International dignitaries
Representatives of Organised Labour
Representatives of Organised Business
Representatives of the media
Director General of Labour
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,
History of 28 April
In 2003, the ILO began to observe World Day stressing the prevention
of illness and accidents at work, capitalizing on its traditional
strengths of tripartism and social dialogue. 28 April is also a day the
world's trade union movement has long associated with commemorating
victims of occupational accidents and disease.
In South Africa, on the 28 April, we celebrated Freedom Day, to
commemorate an historical time in the history of South Africa, a day in
which you the worker, were amongst the key people, to ensure our
beautiful freedom which we cherish so much. On the 1st of
May, we celebrated Workers Day and today, we continue in that same vain
as we commemorate those who have gone before us while still celebrating
the rights of workers who are still amongst us.
Today we celebrate our freedom to choose, the freedom to choose to
work in a healthy and safe environment. Nobody has the right to
offer us less than that in exchange for our time, in exchange for our
expertise in exchange for “Decent Work”.
But health and safety will not come about by waving a magic wand, it
requires workers to be equipped to change the way things are done at
the workplace.
Over the last couple of years, the Department of Labour has enjoyed
the support of its partners in organized labour and business in some
way or the other. Today we remember, that it was nearly five or so
years ago almost to the day that the Occupational Health and Safety
Accord was signed.
In that same Accord, South Africa, as a country, is a signatory to
various ILO Conventions which we have to uphold and against which we
must report and show progress.
Since the signing of the Accord, we have identified and managed to
focus on 4 high risk sectors which at one stage accounted for
approximately 47 % of all fatalities some years ago.
Over the past year, the total incident figures have shown a
substantial increase over last year while the number of fatalities has
increased by 3% over the previous reporting period. This shows
that we have lost some ground over the past year which is totally
unacceptable in the strongest terms.
In terms of these statistics it shows that we have lost one valuable
brother, sister, mother or father on average almost per day. This
follows all the commitments that were made last year and in the
previous years. We meet week after week and month after month yet
the results do not show that what we are meeting about, is in fact
filtering down to the ground floor where it matters. It is clear
that the strategies that we are employing are either ineffective or
there is a need for us to consolidate our efforts in order to achieve
the expected results.
In the Eastern Cape, over the last five years, I have noticed that
there has not been a marked increase or decrease in the number of
fatalities except for one anomaly in the year 2004/5. In fact,
since 2002/3 the statistics stood at 35, in 2003/4 at 45, in 2004/5 it
reduced to an amazing and admirable 28 and then in 2005/6 it increased
to a staggering and mind blowing 42 and then in 2006/7 there was a
slight and unimpressive movement to 40.
The statistics considered for the financial year 2006/7, indicates
that three sectors have shown the greatest number of incidents, that
is, Manufacturing; Construction and Community and Social at 186, 65 and
57 respectively, each reflecting the following percentages against the
overall number of incidents, viz. 48%, 17% and 15% out of a total of
389 incidents.
Nineteen (19) hearing loss cases were reported in the manufacturing
and construction sectors, while five cases of silicosis were reported
in the construction sector.
Thirty eight (38) fracture cases were reported in the manufacturing
sector out of a total of Sixty four (64) reported cases for the period
noted. In that same period, there were a total of twenty nine
(29) amputations reported in the manufacturing sector out of a total of
forty one (41). Nineteen (19) cases of suffocation in the
manufacturing sector was reported in that same period out of a total of
23 cases.
An average of the three sectors with the highest number of
fatalities over the last five years shows Agriculture at 42,
Construction at 41 and Manufacturing at 31 as being the biggest
culprits with 22%, 21.5% and 16.3% respectively – i.e. 60%.
Nearly two thirds of all deaths have occurred in these
sectors.
If recognition was to be given to the sectors most noted not to work
in, as the potential for one to lose one’s life would be greatest, then
it would be these three sectors. In 2006/7, the sector with the
most number of fatalities was the construction sector at 13 out of a
total number of 40 fatalities occurring during that period i.e.
32.5%.
The total number of fatal incidents reported for the period 2005/6,
2006/7 and 2007/8 were 335, 326 and 332 respectively nationally.
You will note with interest that such issues keep the inspectors
busy and keeps them way from other important tasks, such as, assisting
you in preventing the incidents.
Over the past reporting period, my Department has managed to host
numerous sessions in which they transferred information and knowledge
to workers. In the light of the above, was this misguided or
where does the problem lie?
My inspectors over the past year has managed to conduct a total of
5196 contact sessions with stakeholders – these are sessions in which
they disseminated information directly.
You will note that during the past reporting period there were more
than 17000 inspections conducted with a miserable compliance rate of
merely 61% being achieved. In the Eastern Cape there were 1350
companies that were inspected and only 422 were found to be compliant –
this equates to a very worrying 31.3%
What is the price that we must pay while building our soccer
stadiums for 2010? What is the price that we will pay while
building Gautrain? What is the price??? Our buildings are
bleeding the blood of our brothers and sisters and we have become
oblivious to the cost. When will it be enough???
The Department of Labour continues to drive various programs in
order to achieve its goal of safer and healthier workplaces and to this
end it continues to train its inspectors and to capacitate
shopstewards. At least 448 inspectors and 494 shop stewards were
trained to implement and/or enforce the law in the targeted high risk
sectors during the 2007/8 reporting period.
As we move deeper into 2008 our programs within the Department
will become more intense as it continues to target the worst performing
employers in the different sectors as well as within the high risk
sectors already identified.
We will continue training workers until they ask themselves these
pertinent questions:
o Were these
risks avoidable?
o Was there
another way to work that would have reduced, if not eliminated, the
problems that led to this tragedy?
o What can be
done to make sure that such a tragedy does not happen again?
My Department will be working closely with organized labour and
business and community based organizations and others in the following
areas:
o Self help
toolkits and training programs for owners of SMMEs and informal sector
workers;
o partnerships
with community based organizations and others to develop and implement
approaches for reaching out to hard-to-reach groups of workers.
It was interesting to note a comment by the ILO in which it states
that:
Micro- and small enterprises account for over 90 per cent of
enterprises where conditions are often very poor and the workers in
them are often excluded from all labour protection.
Human suffering has no measurable cost, unlike economic losses. In
many developing countries, death rates among workers are five to six
times those in industrialized countries.
Yet the phenomenon is still largely undocumented and there is
insufficient political will to address the problem. Global competition,
growing labour market fragmentation and rapid change in all aspects of
work creates a mounting challenge for labour protection, especially in
developing countries. Workers in rural areas and the urban informal
sector are often ignored or difficult to reach.
We have recognised this and we have in the past deliberately focused
on visibility of inspectors to raise awareness. Equally we
focused on quantity in terms of how many inspections we conducted per
annum. During the course of this year we will continue to focus
on the quality of inspections. We have commenced the training of
our inspectors in the area of improving compliance levels through
strong enforcement mechanisms and through engaging the prosecuting
authorities directly on our cases.
So how do we start to make that all important difference at the
workplace?
The ILO once again guides us through the process!
Managing risks at work
Successful management of safety and health requires a well-supported
organization with clear safety and health responsibilities and
procedures for dealing with risks.
This includes providing good training and infor¬mation and
supervising new or young workers. Since working conditions can change
daily, safety and health require constant vigilance.
Indicators such as levels of injury, illness and absenteeism
demonstrate whether or not safety and health is being well managed in
practice.
Shared Roles... worker, employer, governments and society
Everyone has a role to play in making workplaces as safe and healthy
as possible.
Employers and workers
The ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155)
states that:
“employers are required to ensure that, so far as is reasonably
practicable, workplaces, equipment and substances are safe and without
risks to health.”
Thus all workplace risks, whether physical, chemical or biological
in origin, should be properly managed. All workers should be given the
information and training they need. When protective clothing and
equipment is needed, this too should be provided free of charge.
Workers should always be provided with:
o Training
about protective measures
o Information
on a regular basis about specific dangers at their jobs
o Access to
information about general hazards at their workplaces about:
o Physical
hazards such as noise
o
inappropriate temperature or poor lighting
o Dangerous
chemical and biological substances and their potential adverse health
effects
o Psychosocial
factors
Workers on the other hand should co-operate with their employers in
fulfilling the obligations placed upon them and report situations that
present imminent danger.
They should comply with instructions given for their own and others’
safety and health.
Our beautiful country is growing at a rapid pace over the last three
to five years, areas such as the Eastern Cape that has not seen growth
for some time is rising from the ashes with major projects such as
Coega. Stadiums are being built or renovated with a massive
influx of tourists expected in 2010. In Gauteng there is good
progress being made on amongst other things, the Gautrain.
Today, I wish to make the same call that I have made for the last
six years, that we join hands in our march on unsafe and unhealthy
workplaces, but that we do not become weary, as we stumble, we will
rise again and again until this battle has been won. Today
another comrade will have fallen. It is for them that we rise for
should we falter tomorrow it could be us.
In conclusion then, I would like to share a couple of gold nuggets
with you:
4 KEY STEPS TO REDUCE RISKS THEN IS TOO …
1. Eliminate or
minimize risks at source
2. Reduce risks
through engineering controls or other physical safeguards
3. Provide safe
working procedures to reduce further.
4. Provide, wear and
maintain personal protective equipment
It is my firm belief that we will eventually win in this battle as
we as a Department become more focused and as we intensify our approach
through our existing model which has proven relatively successful:
1. Advocacy,
education and training
2. Inspections and
audits
3. Effective
enforcement
And an addition in the way of a fourth critical area
4. Partnerships and
programs
In addition to the above, I want you to refer to my past references
to the crucial role that a health and safety representative can play in
your workplace. I firmly believe that with the support of the
occupational health and safety representative and, where there is a
need to establish one, an occupational health and safety committee. The
health and safety representative must be given a clear role to play in
line with the minimum requirements and the reporting structure for such
a person must be clear so that it does not become muddled with line
functional activities and bureaucratic red tape. The
effectiveness of such a person, who is well trained can only assist the
organization in moving forward.
Training and research
Educational and training institutions play an important role in
raising awareness of work-related risks and how they can be effectively
managed. Uni¬versities and research institutes have a valuable role to
play, as they review risks, provide a sound technical and scientific
basis for risk evaluation and management and develop in¬novative ways
of reducing risks. During the course of this year we will begin
joint partnerships with some of our Universities through research
initiatives in order to improve on the current service that we offer
you.
As we look into the future we continue to look to you for that much
needed support and will look forward to working with you and listening
to you as the workers and employers of this beautiful country of
ours.
I continue to urge all workers, employers and other partners to
actively participate in workplace forums in order to find joint
solutions to the many problems facing us in health and safety as a
nation - where the principle of “safe work” is accorded the highest
priority.
It is for this reason that we need to say: there is better life for
all South Africans where the cost is not in blood or tears.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Provinces of South Africa
ILO
Service Delivery Chief Directorate
OHS Chief Directorate
